Dirigible headlight



Aug. 23, 1927.

W. M. SWEET DIRIGBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Dc. v. 1926 Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES n WILLIS SWEET, OF NILES, MICHIGAN.

' DIRIGIBLE HEADIQGH'rL Application led December 7', 1926 Serial Nos153,160.'

This invention relates to dirigible spot lights for automobiles and hasspecial reference to an improvement vin the `operating mechanism forsuch spot lights as shown andy described in my prior Patent Number1,599,689, dated September 14, 1926.

In the usual construction of dirigible spot lights which are connectedvtothe steering gear in suchmanner that the angle of direction of thespot light corresponds to the angle at which the steering wheels are setin turning, difficulty is experienced because the spot light does notturn quickly enough to show the side of the road to which the vehicle islabout to move and `where the wheels are set at a small angle, the beamfrom such spotlight strikes the side of the road so far in advance ofthe position of the car that the car may run entirely of the roadwithoutv the operator being aware of his danger.

The principal object. of the present invention is to prov-ide adirigible spotlight so connected to the steering mechanism of theautomobile that a slight movement of such steering mechanism will causethe beam of the spot light Vto move quickly to the proper side of theroad, the mechanism being so arranged that the wheels may be swungfurther by the usual steering mechanism without causing further movementlof the spot light beam. In other words, the actuating mechanismv of thespotlight causes the beam from the llatter to move in the desireddirection in advance of the movement ofthe wheels to its extremeposition, the wheels being afterward capable of also moving to extremeangular position.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spot light controlling mechanismconstructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the construction of this invention the fender 10 of the automobile isprovided with a suitable opening 11 and on one side of this opening ismounted a substantially rectangular casing 12 while the other side ofthe fender carries a casing in theform of a hollow arm 13, these twocasings being secured together by screws 14 passing through the fender.Mounted on a pivot 15 secured to the frame 16 ofthe automobile is theusual steering arm 17 connected inthe ordinary manner to one of thesteering knuckles of the automobile, it not being deemed necessaryhereto show this connection. Slidable in the casing 12 is a hollowvcrosshead having a body 18 wherethrough passes a connecting rod end 19which slides through a collar 20. rlhis connecting rod end is pivotallyconnected to a connecting rod body 21 which is in turn adjustablyconnected by means of a turn buckle 22 to a connecting rod end 23pivoted by a pivot 24 to a finger 25 'carried by the steering arm Oneach side of thc collar 20, which is fixed in the body 18,.4 a. spring26-surrounds the rod endA 19 and on this rod end are mounted collars'27held by pins 28 so'that the springs 26 are held' between these collarsand the collar 20. nus any movement of the arm 17L tends to communicatemovement tothe -crosshead bodyv 18 but this movement is limited inextent by suitable stops 29 which may be of any desired character butare positioned at opposite ends of the crosshead iny normal spacedrelation lthereto.v Under these circumstances the crosshead can move andwill move under the action of the arm 17 until it engages one of thesestops. The arm 17 may then continue to move withoutvfurther movement ofthe crosshead, merely effecting compression of one of the springs 26.Carried by the end of the casing 13 is a bearing 30 wherein is mounted avertical shaft 31 to which is secured a short rock arm 32 connected by alink 33 with lan arm 34 projecting from the crosshead body 18. This rockarm 32 is provided with a. notch 33 receiving a lug on the free end of aspring 34 secured in the casin 13 so that when the shaft 31 is turned toits normal or central position the shaft will be held against accidentalrotation. Secured by a suitable bolt and wing nut 35 to the top of theshaft 31 is a bracket 36 carrying the spot light 37 which may be a drumlight or other type will move, as inmy prior patent, with va greaterangulaivelocity than the wheels controlled by the arm i7 andA thismovement will continue until the rock arm 3Q has caused the stops 29vand the wheels of the vehicle will have been onlyv slightly changedfrom their normal or*straightv aheadposition 'further movement to turnthese wheels to a more acute angle-is permitted by reason of the tactthat the connecting rod endl 19 may slide through the crosshead asbei'ore noted and this movement may continue until the wheels have alsoreached the limit of their angular adjustment from the. normal position,

Obviously, the turn buckle 22 may bel used to adjust the device todii'lerent lengths ot automobiles and also the set screw 3S is used toadjust the spot light so, that it willy direct af beam straight aheadwhen the wheels are set incorresponding position.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device ot the kinddescribed and 'for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the material spiritthereof. It is not, therefore, desired to @Online the invention to theexact iorm herein shown and described, but it is desired to include allsuch as properly come Withiii V"li'$66159' 'C'l'aifl'l'ediw 'l l d' d iA Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

l. In combination, a. pivoted steering arm, a crosshead mounted forreciprocation, stops limiting the movement of said crosshead, aconnecting rod having one end connected to liglitfin central positionVbetween1 the said cresshead, a linkV eenneeting said recit` Y arm andthe last mentioned arm, and yield able pawl means normally holding thespot ot its movement.

2.111 combination, a pivoted steering arm,v

acrosshead mounted for reciprocation, stops limiting the movementl ofsaid' crosshead a connecting rod having one end con-l nected to thesteering armv land -sl-ida-ble through said cros-shead, said arm beingar-` ranged yto move between limits greater than necessary to move theycrossheadintoenga-ge,-

ment with its stopsv spring means connect,

ing the crosshead and rod arranged toy hold the crosshead normallycentral between points on the rod and to permit it to move against theinfluencent said meansto' each ot' said points, a spot light, a shaftcarrying the spot light and journall'ed Ato v pi-votaljly support saidlight, a rock arm on said shantt,4

wiLiiis. M. swniir.

